


NYX

by PaganArrows



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: CreepyPasta family, Creepypasta, Creepypasta - Marble Hornets Crossover, Darkness, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, I'll think of some eventualy, Marble Hornets - Freeform, Marijuana, Masturbation, Murder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-01-30 04:16:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21422032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaganArrows/pseuds/PaganArrows
Summary: A Ticci Toby x OC story.Want something a bit different from the typical angsty, love at first sight, teenager story? This may be the story for you.Caution: I do not post trigger warnings in my chapters. There are detailed mature scenes, such as violence,  drug use, and sexuality. Harsh language will be used throughout. So please do not leave comments griping that I offended you.You have been warned.
Relationships: Tobias Erin "Toby" Rogers | Ticci Toby & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter Zero

The walls were coated in moss and mildew. The rough wood floor was not any better. Several low tables were situated on a wooden alter in an almost complete circle. In the center of the circle was the thing that drew him here in the first place. It was hard to mistake the desperate cries of a babe.  
The Slender Man moved soundlessly across the room. His blank face was pinched in annoyance at the continuous wailing. He stared at the tiny being, wrapped haphazardly in a dirty grey sheet. It squirmed restlessly, eyes squeezed shut, mouth gaped open as it screamed. The tall being sniffed the air, and quickly recoiled; the babe had relieved itself within the confines of the sheet. Unnecessarily holding his breath, the Slender Man returned to the alter. 

When he peered down at the babe, it stopped screaming, but began to pant as if it had tired itself out. After a few moments of this, the babe let out a series of whimpers, as if it knew its screams were not being heard by a caregiver. 

It stopped twitching. 

The Slender Man cocked his head to the side in curiosity. He didn't know what to do with the tiny being.

The best thing to do would be to relieve it of its misery. From the looks of the house and the filthiness of the infant, there was obviously no one there to feed it, clothe it, love it. No guardian lunged out of the darkness. No shrill shrieks of a woman or man demanding he get away from their infant.  
The second thought that raced through his mind was to leave it. The elements would soon take hold. Though it would suffer, the babe would not live long.

There was a quiet sob, and the Slender Man started a bit, tentacles ripping through the back of his suit. The tiny being was staring back at him. Twin bright blue eyes tried to focus on his face. Its face, still slightly plump, was starting to become ashen due to the cold temperature of the room. Its tiny mouth opened, and a soft whine came forth. It gave a slight wriggle. 

The Slender Man sighed quietly, tentacles calming to the point of lying limp against his back. With a gentle ease he was not used to, he scooped up the infant. It let out a startled gasp, but quickly quieted as he carefully corrected his hold then held it against his chest. Instinct took over as soon as its cheek touched his chest; it opened its mouth and turned its head to face his suit, eyes closing as it started to root. The Slender Man knew from watching humans that the infant was searching for something to eat, most likely milk, which he certainly could not give it.

Holding the infant tightly against him, the Slender Man swept his other hand across the table, knocking over the candles, and watching in satisfaction as the flames took to the dry wood. With no rush, the Slender Man exited the house through the broken down front door. The smell of smoke started to waft through the still night air. 

With an odd sound like that of a low slurping, the tall being and the babe left the now burning house at the edge of the field. 

In an instant, they were standing in the middle of a store, now closed due to it being night. The Slender Man quickly used his power to distort any cameras that were in use. He did not need any humans to see him or what he was doing. Looking around the immediate area, he spotted a large duffel bag hanging among others of varying colors. He picked a jet black one. From there he moved towards the section with a sign saying 'Baby' hanging over it. Using his tentacles and free hand, he stuffed the duffel bag full of baby essentials: at least ten cans of formula, three packs of plastic bottles, a box of wipes, a few soft looking blankets. It took him a moment to figure out which size diapers he would need, then decided on getting the second size; he knew infants grew at a fast pace for the first few months. The last thing he grabbed were some clothes. The selection was a complete eyesore to the Slender Man; it took him a few minutes to find unisex and dark colored one-pieces among the pinks and yellows.

With the bag over his shoulder and the babe tucked against his chest, he teleported to his locked quarters in his manor. 

Being as careful as possible, the Slender Man lowered himself to the soft carpet, shrugging the duffel bag off of his skinny shoulder. The babe let out a whimper of hunger as he set it on the floor in front of him. He knew it had to be fed, but he could not let the babe lie in its own filth any longer.

The blanket had to be removed gently; the reek of urine cause his face to pinch. He sent out a tentacle to grab a pack of wet wipes. The babe was naked underneath the sheet. The belly button was sealed, and the Slender Man saw the lack of a penis. It was a baby girl. Quickly but carefully, he wiped the babe down, starting at the wisp of dark hair to the tiny pale toes. When he was done, he glared at the pile of soiled wipes. It was disgusting. 

Another tentacle was sent out, this time retrieving a diaper and a black one-piece. Gently, he dressed the babe. Blue eyes stared up at him as he surveyed her. The one-piece was a little big on her. The glitter on the stomach said 'Daddy's Girl,' and the Slender Man felt a bit of pride that he had done a good job so far. 

The babe's face scrunched a bit as her belly gave a growl of hunger. 

The Slender Man teleported to the kitchen, leaving the baby on the floor. She could not do any damage, so he did not feel the need to bring her along. Quickly, he grabbed a tall glass from the cabinet near the sink and filled it with warm water. He knew infants needed their milk to be a certain degree, but his body temperature varied from that of a human. He trusted his gut and returned to the infant.

The milky mix was easy enough to make, as the instructions were on the side of the container. With the bottle in one hand, he cradled the babe against his chest with the other. The babe drank greedily; the Slender Man guessed she had not had a meal in hours, maybe a day or two. 

As he watched, fascinated, the babe's eyes started to droop. He did not blame her for falling asleep so easily; she had been through much in her very short time alive. 

'You have much to learn,' he thought. 'Much, much to learn, my dear Nyx.'


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyx is four years old.

The Slender Man sat quietly in his high-backed chair near the floor to ceiling window in his office, a newspaper unfolded in his hands. He quietly flipped the page to view the comics. For a being such as himself, it was nice to unwind for a moment to read the interesting little picture stories.

"Papa?" 

Soft footsteps reached his inner ear. 

The newspaper was lowered so he could peer over it at his young daughter. It still amazed the Slender Man that the little screaming babe he found in the desolate house had grown into a soft-spoken four year old. For a moment he remembered when she said her first word, a very soft "Dada," then her first steps when she finally got fed up with his goading. 

'Yes, Nyx?'

"I hurt myself."

The Slender Man set the newspaper down on top of his desk and got to his feet. He could smell the blood before he saw it. A cut on her left forearm. It was bleeding, but not terribly. He also noticed that his daughter's eyes were fixated on the cut, as if studying it. 'What is it, Nyx?'

"What is it, Papa? The red stuff."

'Blood, my dear.'

"Bah-lud?

'Yes. Blood.' He knelt down in front of his daughter and withdrew a napkin from a pocket in his suit. 'It is something you need in order to live.'

"Do I eat it?"

The Slender Man shook his head. 'No, you don't. Some other creature might.' Gently he swiped his forefinger through the blood. 'Here. Try it.' He pressed the blood-covered pad of his finger against the tip of her tongue when she stuck it out. 

"It is funny, Papa," Nyx commented. 

'How did you hurt yourself?' asked the Slender Man as he gently wiped the remainder of the blood away with the napkin.

"Scissors."

'Were you running with them again?'

Nyx looked down in shame. "Yes, Papa."

'Even though I told you not to do that?'

"Yes, Papa."

The Slender Man shook his head. 'Oh, Nyx.'

"I'm sorry, Papa."

'It's okay, my darkness, but you must not run with scissors. Something worse than a nick on the arm could happen.'

"Do you have blood, Papa?"

The Slender Man stared into his daughter's green-blue hazel eyes, so different from the bright blue they used to be. 'No.'

"Why?"

'I am not a human like you, my child,' he replied with a soft sigh. 'I do not need blood in my veins to survive.'

"Is that why you have no eyes? Or mouth?"

'Yes. I lack a true face because I am a different being.' He felt a twinge of sadness as she looked down at his large snow white hands. She reached up and grasped one of them. Her hazel eyes stared at it intently for a few moments, before she hugged his hand against his cheek. 

"I love you, Papa. I like you with no eyes or mouth."

The Slender Man's heart swelled as his daughter told him she loved him, just like every time she said it. This little being loved him, even though he was of a completely different species. 

'I love you too, my dear Nyx,' he replied quietly.

Nyx released her father's hand, and he cocked his head to the side as a thoughtful expression took over her young face. 'What is it?'

"Will I be like you when I grow up?"

This question startled the Slender Man. He had not given any thought as to what would happen when she was older, if he was being honest with himself. He foolishly believed she would be his small daughter for the rest of her years. But he knew eventually she would grow up. . . then what? Would he turn her into a proxy? She did not fear blood, nor did she cry when she was in pain. Would he kill her once she was out of her cute phase? Just the mere thought almost, almost made him wince. As he stare into her hazel eyes, he knew he could not murder her. 

'I do not know,' he finally answered. 'Do you want to be like me?'

Nyx blinked up at his blank face. "It would be nice to be like you," she said, "but I like my eyes. Can I keep them?"

The Slender Man let out a low chuckle. 'Of course. You have beautiful eyes, and neither of us want you to lose them.' He gently cupped his daughter's cheek. 'When you get older we'll make the decision together.'

"Why not now?"

'My dear, a four year old can not make such a large decision,' he answered truthfully. 'It will take time and patience, but I promise it won't take long.' He looked down at the cut on his daughter's arm and was shocked to see it was already starting to seal itself. The blood that had not been soaked up by the napkin was retreating back into the closing slit. He watched, amazed, as it finally healed, leaving behind the faintest silver line on her lightly tanned skin. 'You are special, Nyx. Very, very special.' He stared into his daughter's face, mesmerized by the calmness he saw in her eyes. 'When you are older, much older, we will sit down and discuss your future.'

Nyx smiled at her father. The Slender Man's cheeks pulled up into an invisible smile as he looked at the gap where one of her top and two of her bottom teeth used to be. He remembered how calm she was when she had presented the lost teeth to him; he had them disinfected and sealed away in a jar on his bookshelf. They were reminders, memories.

The Slender Man lowered his hand then slowly stood up. 

"Papa?"

'Yes?'

"When can I go outside the door?"

The question caught him off-guard. 

The large manor he lived in was shared with others who merely. . . rented space in the house. The first few day after he brought Nyx into his home and his life, he had crafted meticulous locks and barriers around a decent sized chunk of the second floor: his office and quarters and a small bedroom with an attached bathroom where his daughter slept. No one could break through the barriers, and if someone tried he would be immediately notified of the breach. So far, no one has had the courage to try, and he was grateful; he had kept his daughter a secret for four years, and wanted to keep it that way. The others in the house had questioned him about the closed-off section , but he merely told them it was a personal decision. 

But due to the blood-thirsty behaviors of the others, he did not allow Nyx through the barrier. He always brought her meals to her so she was not discovered. The tall windows were tinted so no one could look in and see her. 

'What have I told you, Nyx?'

"There is danger-oos things out there," Nyx responded. "But I am older, Papa."

'Not old enough,' the Slender Man said. 

"When, Papa?"

The Slender Man stared down at his daughter. He was tempted to say "Never," but knew that was not the answer he should give her. "When you are older." He did not miss the defiant glint in her eyes. 'What?'

"I'm going to find the key," she declared, then bolted out of his office.

He stared after her for a moment before returning to his comfy chair behind his desk. 'Good luck,' he muttered as he picked up his newspaper. A few moments later he felt the barrier waver. He knew she was jiggling the doorknob in her room. She tried for several minutes before a frustrated yell filled the silence. 'I'm sorry, Nyx. You'll thank me when you're older.'


	3. Chapter Two

Nyx stared at the door. 

She did not know what she was hearing. 

It sounded like footsteps, but they were not her father's. 

Her eyes widened. 

Maybe it was one of the dangerous things her father warned her about.

But, instead of feeling fear, she felt curious. 

What were the dangerous things beyond the door?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyx is five.


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyx is ten. 
> 
> "Get Out Alive" by Three Days Grace is the theme for this chapter.
> 
> Also, I do know that Masky and Hoodie are a part of Marble Hornets. This is sort of a Creepypasta - Marble Hornets crossover.

Nyx glanced up from her book to glare at the floor to ceiling window. She knew it was tinted; she could not be seen from the outside, but had a perfect view from her bedroom. For the past ten years years she would stare out the window and watch. 

Watch the seasons change. 

Watch wildlife, usually a deer or a squirrel, whenever it was brave enough to approach the outside of the large house. 

Watch as shadows danced around in the stone courtyard. 

She was tired of watching. 

She wanted out.

She wanted to explore beyond the door.

Nyx returned to her book. She had taken it from her father's office in hopes of finding out something about breaking down barriers. A few months ago her father had accidentally told her about the barrier, an invisible lock that kept her from escaping her haven. She could not understand why she couldn't visit the rest of the house. Nyx knew there was more to see, way more. 

A small cloud of dust emanated from the book as she flipped through the pages. There had to be something in here. The small stack of books to her left had not given her the answers she was desperately searching for. When this book proved to be just as useless, she threw it at the window in a fit of frustration. 

It bounced off and landed with a dull thud beside her. 

With a low growl, she rose to her bare feet and brushed the dust off her white dress. She marched to the locked door. Narrowing her eyes, she studied it.   
It was a normal door, painted white with an old-fashioned metal doorknob and keyhole. She had given up looking through it; darkness was the only thing she saw when she did. 

She tried twisting the knob, and, just like the hundreds of times she tried before, it turned but did not open the door. 

"Damn it," she muttered, then swiftly looked over her shoulder at the door that led to her father's office. If he heard her saying such things, he would give her a talking-to then deny her dessert after dinner. "Open up," she growled at the door. She tried again, but once again was denied an exit. "Stupid door. Stupid house." She smacked her hand against the door. "Ouch!" 

She pulled her hand away, leaving a small smudge of red on the door, and looked at her palm. A sliver of wood was embedded in the skin. Blood oozed sluggishly around it. Gritting her teeth, she pinched the end of the splinter and pulled it from her hand. 

A low click caught her attention.

As her skin healed itself, her eyes snapped to the door. 

The sound had come from the knob.

She cocked her head to the side, something she had picked up from her father. 

Did it just. . . unlock?

Nyx glanced at the door to her father's office again. She couldn't hear anything. Maybe he was not home; he did leave every now and then. Sometimes there would be blood on his normally clean suit. She knew he did not bleed like she did, so it had to be someone else's blood. Whose? She did not know.

Her hand shook as it reached out then closed around the knob. Her heart picked up its pace as she turned it. Breathing heavily, she gave the door a small push. It gave a little squeal as it opened due to the hinges not being used in years. 

Eyes wide, she peered through the slim opening.

It was not what she expected.

While her room was bright, mostly due to the sunlight that came in through the window, the space beyond was the opposite. Dark shadows filled the hallway, hiding both ends from sight. A chill crept from the darkness. Goose pimples rose on her bare arms. There was a sense of dread that hung about the place. 

Glancing back at her room, she took a deep breath then walked into the dark hallway.

Shivering from the chill, she padded quietly down the hall. The carpet muffled her footsteps. She was slightly aware that her dress and skin would stick out among the shadows. Her hand reached out to touch the wall. Using it as a guide, she wandered down the hall. She tripped once when her foot caught on something. Her hand ran over two different doors; they felt different than the smooth texture of her own bedroom door. One had dents and chips, and the other felt rough as if it had not been painted recently. 

It happened suddenly. Nyx couldn't see.

The floor suddenly disappeared. 

She opened her mouth to scream as she fell forward, but her head smacked against something solid before she could shout. Her body made loud thudding sounds as she tumbled head over feet down a staircase. She felt her skin being ripped by pieces of jagged wood.

Finally, she came to a stop at the bottom of the steps. Her body ached terribly, and a small whimper escaped her lips. She tasted blood. 

"What the fuck?"

Something moved on her right. She tried to lift her head to see what it was but could not.

"Where the fuck did a kid come from?"

"If I knew, you would have been the first I fuckin' told!"

Footsteps vibrated the wooden floor under her head. 

"She's hurt! Shit. What the fuck are we goin' to do?"

Nyx felt the steps getting nearer until a dirty brown boot appeared in her small line of vision. A presence kneeled down - she could make out a blue jean-covered knee - and a large hand rested on her small shoulder. Through the pain, she could feel the soft texture of worn out leather. 

"Is she dead?"

"I don't think so." The hand shook her body back and forth a few times. "Kid? You alive?"

Nyx let out a soft whine. There was a loud pop, and a terrible pain shot through her leg. The bone had repaired itself, snapping back into place. Nyx didn't scream. Her throat was in too much pain to scream.

"Her body's fixing itself!"

"What? Really?!"

"Fuck. You got to see this."

Another set of steps rushed towards her and the one touching her shoulder. 

Slowly her body mended itself, restitching muscles, sucking the blood back into her veins. The pain was still there, but not as sharp. Eventually it too dull to a gentle throbbing, which in turn quit after a few more moments.

"Breathe, kid."

Nyx sucked in a deep breath as the pain fully disappeared. Bracing herself in case the pain came back, she pushed herself upright until she was sitting with her back against the bottom step. 

"You goin' to be okay?"

Her eyes jumped from the floor to the two newcomers. 

They looked about the same height, definitely taller than her. 

The one with its hand still on her shoulder had the dirty brown boots and blue jeans. His upper body was hidden under a dark yellow hooded sweatshirt. The hood was pulled up. He did not have a face, well not a human face. Two glowing red eyes peered down at her from a jet black mask a skier may wear. A simple red line curved into a frown below the eyes. His head was cocked to the side.

The other one had was a bit different: his boots were black and scoffed, jeans were a lighter color, a tan jacket that was unzipped to show a black shirt underneath, dark brown hair stuck up in messy tufts, and the mask was different. His mask was pretty, very pretty. A ghost white mask with black eyes and full lips. It reminded her of a picture she had seen in one of her father's book.

"Kid?"

"Maybe she scrambled her brain?" The white mask looked past her head at the stairs. "That is one hell of a fall." 

The black mask held up his other hand, which was hidden in a black glove. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Nyx stared at him for a moment. "Three."

"Good. Now?"

"Two."

"Okay. One more time, kid."

". . . One."

"That's right." He tilted his hand forward until his finger was pointing at her. "Now, who are you?"

"Nyx."

"Nyx? That's a pretty name." He shot a glance over his shoulder at his companion. "Now what is a pretty little girl like you doing here?"

Nyx blinked at the man. Did he not know? "I live here," she answered.

The two masked men looked at each other, then the black mask returned his scarlet gaze to her. "Do you now?" he asked, and Nyx nodded. "How old are you, Nyx?"

"Ten."

"So young. . ."

"What is your name?"

"Hoodie."

Nyx furrowed her brows in confusion. "I asked about your name. Not what you're wearing."

The man chuckled, low and raspy, behind his mask. "No, kid. No. That's my name. My name is Hoodie. And this is my friend Masky."

"Hello." The second man's voice surprised her. She thought it would be softer, maybe because of the mask, but it was a bit deeper than Hoodie's voice. "How did you get here?"

"I live here, like I said." Nyx folded her hands in her lap. "Do you live here too?"

"Yes, but we have never seen you before."

"It's my first day outside. I didn't know the stairs were right there." Nyx cast a glare over her shoulder at the offending steps. "Stupid stairs." She heard the two men muffling their laughter. "Papa will not be happy I went outside."

The men suddenly stopped laughing. "Your. . . Your 'Papa?'"

Nyx nodded slowly. "He doesn't want me outside. It's dangerous and scary."

"What does your papa look like?"

"He's very tall." Nyx looked up into the scarlet eyes. "Always wears a black suit, but sometimes he has blood on it. He is very pale, like paper or snow. No eyes or mouth, but he can still talk."

"Your papa is the Slender Man?"

Nyx was confused by the name but nodded anyways. Her father was incredibly slender so she guessed that was who he asked about.

The white mask, Masky, scooted closer. "I didn't know he had a child. Who is your mother?"

"I don't have a mother," she said after a moment. "Papa found me." Nyx tried not to tear up as she remembered the day her Papa told her about when he found her: wrapped in a blanket and left on a table in an abandoned house by a field. "I was alone in a bad house. Papa saved me from dying. I was just a baby and left there to die." She wiped away the stray tear that was running down her cheek. 

"I'm sorry to hear that, Nyx," said Hoodie. She could not tell if he was being serious or not. "We don't have mothers either."

"You said this was your first time outside?" said Masky. "Did he have you locked in a closet or something?"

Nyx shook her head. "I have my own room and bathroom. It's upstairs."

Hoodie looked at Masky. "That's why we couldn't get into those rooms in the west wing." Hoodie returned his red glare Nyx. "Your papa had set wards to keep us out."

"He called it a lock."

"Those are some pretty tough wards. How did you get out?"

"I got a splinter when I hit my door. Some blood got on it, then the door unlocked." Nyx glared at the ground. "Some escape this is. All I did was get hurt."

"But you healed yourself," Masky pointed out. "How can you do that?"

Nyx shrugged her scrawny shoulders; Hoodie's hand slid off. "I just can." She sat in silence for a few moments, then her stomach gurgled quietly. She remembered she barely ate her breakfast that morning due to her thoughts being too jumbled to concentrate. 

"You hungry?"

She nodded.

"Well, come on." Hoodie and Masky stood up and towered over her. Nyx hid how much they were intimidating her and slowly got up. Something told her that showing fear would not be the best idea in the world, that they thrived on it.

Hoodie and Masky flanked her as they led her away from the stairs. Their towering figures were actually a bit reassuring; at least she wasn't alone in the darkness anymore. The heavy sound their boots made masked her own footsteps. She did not know where they were taking her, but after a few moments they walked through a doorway into a lighter room.

It was a rather large room, and looked to be a kitchen and dining room put together. Two huge refrigerators were near a stove and sink on the left, and a long table was on the right. A variety of chairs were shoved haphazardly in place. The wooden floor was scuffed and there were dark splotches all over the place.

"Well? Go ahead and find something."

Nyx nodded and left her bodyguards to approach the smaller looking of the two fridges. The handle was coated in what looked like rust. She could hear the two talking behind her, but ignored them. She yanked the door open. For a moment she just stood there as she took in the sight before her, then she frowned.

Organs.

Hearts. Lungs. Livers. Spleens. 

All floating in jars of various liquids. 

Blood had stained the bottom of the shelves and the floor. 

"You opened the wrong fridge, kid," said Hoodie as he stood behind her. She did not hear him approach. He closed the door gently. "You need the other one."

"Someone eats those." Nyx turned to look up at the black and red mask. "Is it one of you?"

"Masky and I don't eat organs," Hoodie replied. "A visitor eats those."

"A visitor?"

Hoodie nodded. "He stops by now and then." He cocked his head to the side a bit. "You're not scared?"

"Why should I be?"

"I just told you someone eats those."

"Everyone has to eat something," Nyx replied simply. "I guess some people prefer organs."

"Tough kid," Hoodie remarked as he turned to look at Masky, who was busy cutting up an apple, the slices falling into a waiting bowl. "Can take a tumble down the stairs; heal herself; then not even flinch at a fridge full of anatomy. Fuck, kid." 

Masky finished cutting the apple and handed the bowl to Nyx. 

"Thank you," she said and ate a slice. It was delicious. "Do you know where Papa went?"

The two masked men stared down at her. For a moment she thought she had said something wrong as they went deathly quiet, then Masky finally spoke, "You don't know?"

Nyx shook her head. "No, but I do know he leaves at least twice a month for a day or two. Sometimes there's blood on his suit, but it's not his because he does not bleed like I do. He never tells me where he goes, so I stopped asking a few years ago. Do you know where he goes?" she asked again after eating another apple slice.

Hoodie and Masky looked at each other again. 

"We do know where he is," Hoodie said slowly, hesitating. Nyx looked up at him expectantly. "He's hunting."

"Hunting?" she repeated. "What does he hunt? Deer? Like the men in the books?"

Hoodie shook his head after a moment. "He's hunting humans."

Nyx's heart skipped a beat, but she did not flinch. "Humans? Like me?"

"Yes." Hoodie sighed quietly behind his mask, and Masky looked off to the right. "Nyx, your father plays a game with the humans, a game that is impossible to win. He has these pages that he hides in a forest by a town. Humans find the pages - there are eight of them - and they have to find them all before the sun comes up. There are clues on them that allow the humans to find the next, but there are also warnings and ramblings which are used to disorient them. At the end of the game, if not all of the pages are found, your father kills them. You've seen his tentacles right?"

Nyx nodded.

"He uses them to impale the humans, taking their blood and life source. It's how he refuels his energy. It's how he eats."

"He eats their life source?"

Hoodie nodded. 

Nyx lowered her gaze to the floor. "I want to go back to my room now," she whispered. A gloved hand entered her vision, and she took it after a moment. She was quiet as the two once again walked on either side of her. When they reached the stairs, Nyx paused, shivering a bit in fear. What if she fell over again?

Her answer came in the form of Masky. He scooped her up in his strong arms and carried her up the stairs. He stepped carefully as she cowered into his black shirt, the bowl of apple slices clutched to her chest. Masky did not put her down at the top of the stairs. Instead he carried her to her bedroom door. Gently, he set her down. 

Nyx looked up at them. "Thank you."

Both of the men nodded. "If it's your blood that unlocks the door, maybe you should scrub it off to restore the wards," Hoodie suggested. "Unless you want your father to know you've been out."

"He'll probably know anyways," Masky grumbled. 

"If Papa hunts humans, does that mean he will hunt me?" Nyx frowned at her own question, but it was one that had been echoing around her mind after Hoodie told her about her father. "Does he still love me?"

"I don't think he'll hunt you, Nyx," said Hoodie. "If he hasn't by now, then I doubt he will."

Nyx sighed quietly. "I better get back inside." She backed into the room, not wanting to take her eyes off the two men. They were the first outside contact she had, someone other than her father. Outside interaction was something she craved. "But I don't want to."

"It would probably be better if you did," said Masky in his low voice. "We don't want you or us getting into trouble. Your father would hunt us down."

"I don't want that to happen." Nyx glanced over her shoulder at the inviting sunshine that illuminated the room. She lifted her hand in a small wave before returning to the warmth of her room.


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyx is ten.

When the Slender Man returned to his manor, he found his daughter curled up in the corner of her room farthest from the door to his office. She barely looked up at him as he walked towards her. 'Hello, Nyx.'

"Welcome back, Papa," she returned quietly. "I missed you."

'I miss you too, my darkness.' He looked over her form; her black dress made her skin seem paler than normal. 'Are you alright, Nyx?'

She was quiet for a moment; the Slender Man thought for a moment that she had not heard him. "Papa, can I ask you something without you getting angry?"

'Of course.'

"Do you really kill humans?"

The Slender Man stared down at his daughter. Where did that come from? 'Nyx - "

"Please don't lie to me, Papa."

'Yes. I do hunt humans.'

"Why?"

'It refuels my powers.'

"Will you kill me as well?"

'I would never do that,' the Slender Man said honestly. 'You may not be my flesh and blood daughter, but you are still my daughter. I can and will not hurt you.' The Slender Mn squatted down to look into his daughter's pretty eyes. 'Why are you asking?' He saw her visibly gulp. 'I won't get angry with you. I promise.'

Nyx blinked up at him. "I went outside the door," she said quietly.

'Outside the door?' he repeated slowly. 'You managed to get past the barrier? How?'

"My blood. I had a splinter, and I got blood on the door." She glanced at the door. "I went outside."

'It's dangerous out there, Nyx. That's why you stay in here.'

"They weren't dangerous," she whispered.

The Slender Man stared at his daughter. 'They who?'

"Masky and Hoodie." Her head suddenly whipped around to face him, her hazel eyes wide. "Please don't hurt them, Papa! They didn't hurt me at all! They were nice. Masky cut up an apple for me. Hoodie said I was brave." She paused to catch her breath. "I asked them where you went when you go away, and they didn't want to lie to me." She blinked back tears. "Please, please don't hurt them."

'I won't.' The Slender Man swiftly but gently enveloped his daughter in his long arms, holding her to his chest like he did all the those years ago. 'I did not think your blood would deactivate the barriers I set in place. You truly are special, my little darkness.' He held his child for a long moment, just listening to her breath as she calmed down. 'What are you thinking?'

"Will you put the barriers back up?"

'Yes.'

"Can you change them, please? For me?"

'Why should I do that?'

"Papa, in one of your book it says that a child should be allowed to make friends. I can not do that when I am locked away like a princess in a tower." The Slender Man leaned back a bit to look down at his daughter. "I need the interaction."

'The interaction?' The Slender Man chuckled quietly. 'Do you think they will want to interact with you? They are dangerous, my darkness.'

"I know they are dangerous, Papa, but they did not want to hurt me." Nyx frowned slightly. "The worse thing they did was allow me to open the organ fridge." She gagged for a moment, but her eyes did not show fear. "Hoodie said a visitor eats them. Is that true?"

'Yes. He has a taste for organs.' The Slender Man sighed quietly. 'I do agree that you can't be locked in your room for ever, Nyx, but as your father I do worry about you.' He paused for a moment then made his proposition. 'Nyx, I am going to reset the wards, and this time I will take in account the power in your blood. But I will allow you out every once in a while, if you can pass a test.'

"What test, Papa?"

The Slender Man stared at his daughter intently. 'To pass the test, you must not scream.'

"Not scream?"

'Yes. Now, take a nap. You'll be coming with me tonight.' The Slender Man released his daughter, and her hazel eyes seemed to glow as she looked up at him. 'If you can pass this test, then I will alter the wards so you can leave your room every other weekend for one day, be it Friday, Saturday or Sunday. I will make it so you can leave your room, but no one will be able to go in. It will be a precaution because of some of our visitors. They will not take kindly to a young human such as yourself.'

Nyx nodded in understanding. "I'm ready."

'Very well. Rest now, then we will leave.'


	6. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyx is still ten. The song for this chapter is "The Kill (Bury Me)" by Thirty Seconds to Mars.

Nyx stared at her father from her perch on top of a rather large boulder near a circle of fallen trees. Her dress had been swapped for a pair of dark blue jeans, a grey t-shirt under a black jacket, and a pair of black boots. Her hood was pulled up over her dark brown hair as a chilly wind blew through the trees. 

Her father was flipping through the pages in his hands. There were eight in all, and covered in writing, just as Hoodie had said. He would not allow her to read whatever was written on the pages, but she did not mind. She was too busy enjoying the freedom of being outside. 

She stared about her.

The trees were various shades of brown and grey. Some had leaves clinging to their branches, while others were covered in a coat of greenish-grey needles. She found out real quick how prickly they were when she touched them out of curiosity. The floor of the forest was blanketed with a layer of leaves. Thick bushes covered in sharp thorns had snagged at her jeans as she walked with her father to their current position. Above her the sky was dark with clouds; it was a vast difference from the deep blue she saw earlier today. For a moment she wondered if it was her father's powers that were making it look like that. 

'Now, Nyx, I need you to stay right here for a moment,' he father said as he glanced around. 'I will be right back.' With the odd quiet slurping sound he was gone, leaving her alone in the dark forest.

Nyx ran the tips of her fingers over the surface of the boulder, feeling the dips and cracks. It was different from the carpet in her room. 

It didn't take long for her father to return. He had a particularly cheerful look about him, but under the glee Nyx could sense the danger. The blood-lust. 'Now we wait.'

"Will someone find the first page?"

The Slender Man nodded. 'I have to be strategic. There is a group of four about fifty yards from here, on the other side of that rise. I placed it on the side of their tent.'

"Did they see you?"

'No. I am too quick for them to see.' He went quiet for a moment. 'They found it.' 

"How do you know?"

The Slender Man looked at his daughter. 'I have infused some of my power into the pages. I can sense when they are found. It is like a tracking device of sorts.'

"That's very smart, Papa."

'I have been doing this a long time, my dear.'

"How long do you think they will last?"

'Not long,' said her father. 'They found the second page.'

"That was quick," Nyx commented.

'They think they are clever, but they are not. They're beginning to act cocky, as if this is a game that can be easily won.'

They fell into a tense silence. Nyx listened as the group crashed through the forest searching for more clues. She heard shouting, then a bright light bounced off the trees near her. 

'Nyx, get into that tree,' said her father, pointing at a very thick tree with low hanging branches. 'Pretend you are climbing to get a book off the top shelf in my office.'

Nyx nodded in understanding and slid off the boulder. Quiet as she could, she walked over to the tree, keeping her head low so she would not be seen by a stray light. When she reached the tree she grabbed a branch and hoisted herself up. A black tentacle wrapped around her waist as her grip faltered a bit. With her father's help, she managed to get into the tree and hide among the needles. 

'Stay quiet and watch,' the Slender Man said. 'And remember: do not scream.' Then he was gone.

Nyx's eyes searched the surrounding area, surprised she could see so much even with the needles in the way. 

A shrill scream to her right nearly made her fall off the branch, but she clung to the trunk and readjusted herself.

"What the fuck was that?!"

"Where'd it go?!"

A bright light flitted over her hiding spot, but no one saw her.

"Look! Another paper!"

Four people scrambled over the small hill in front of her. Two women and two men, all dressed for the chilly night. Three were holding lights in their hands, and the fourth had the papers. The lights were moving erratically, almost making Nyx feel a wave of dizziness. 

"Wh-What was that?!"

"Holy. Shit. Tell me I did not just see that!"

Nyx narrowed her eyes at the group as they neared her tree. 

A slash of pure darkness shot out of the trees. The tendril pierced through the torso of one of the women; her shrill scream became a gurgle as blood poured from her gaping mouth. Two more tendrils did the same for the other woman and one of the men. Blood splattered on the surrounding trees and the forest floor. The lone survivor stood staring at his dying friends. The crotch of his jeans darkened then something wet snaked down his inside of his legs. He choked on his tears. 

Nyx slowly crawled down through the branches until she was on one near the ground. Carefully she inched her way away from the trunk. The man was too gripped in terror to notice her. She took in a deep breath to steady her nerves. Then, without a second thought, she flung herself out of the tree. She collided with the man, and her added weight made the man stumble and fall to the leaf-littered, blood splattering on the ground. He let out a yell as she grabbed fistfuls of his brilliant blonde hair. She yanked up then forcefully shoved his face into the dirt. 

She did it again.

Then a third time.

Then a fourth.

Blood scent filled the air, and she noticed it on the ground when she lifted his head up again. She twisted his head a bit so she could stare into his left eye. It was bloodshot and there was deep bruising starting to blossom on his cheek. 

"W-Why?"

Nyx blinked slowly at the man. "Because this is a game for you, and a test for me," she said quietly, noticing a sharp stone within arm's reach. "I passed the test." She released his hair from her right hand and picked up the stone. "But you lost the game." 

The stone made a sickening thud as it struck his temple. 

Blood went flying.

With each smack his head began to cave in. 

His head fell to the ground when she released her other hand's grip. 

With both hands, she held the stone steady and smashed it into the back of his head.

It did not take long, she noted, for the man's head to be turned into a pile of red mush. The stone dropped from her hands, and she dipped the fingers of her right hand into the bloody mess. She swiped her red-coated hand across her face.

'My daughter.'

Nyx looked up as her father appeared from the darkness in front of her. His tendrils flailed for a moment before being reabsorbed into his back. The corpses of the other three humans were lying in pieces around the clearing; her father must have severed them in half after absorbing their life force.

'You are a natural,' the Slender Man said as he held out a hand. Nyx took it, and he helped her to her feet. 'You passed the test with flying colors, my darkness.' Nyx smiled up at her father as he gently caressed her blood covered cheek. She had made him proud. 'Let's go home.' The Slender Man held her close as he teleported away from the corpses.

Nyx closed her eyes as she felt her body being squeezed through time and space, then opened them again when they landed. But instead of being in her room, they were standing at a wrought iron gate topped with sharp spikes. The gate opened with a slight creak and her father led the way through them. She followed closely, staying in the middle of the beaten dirt path. Thorny bushes, like the ones in the forest, seemed to reach out to snag at her clothes. "Where are we, Papa?"

'We are home,' he answered.

Nyx looked up form watching her feet to look at the outside of her home for the first time. It was large, but not overly large. Two stories tall with a sloping Gothic roof. The outside walls were covered in creeping vines, almost allowing the house to blend in with the surrounding forest. Tall windows reflected whatever moonlight managed to escape past the clouds; one of them was lit up as if someone there, whichever room it was. Glancing around, Nyx did not see the stone courtyard she usually saw when looking out her bedroom window, so she guessed her room was on the backside of the house. She did pass some grotesque stone statues of dragons and lions as she followed her father to the front door, which was made of a dark wood and stood out among the ivy. 

'What do you think?' Her father paused, hand in the air to take hold of the large brass doorknob, and glanced over his shoulder at her.

"It's dark," Nyx replied after a moment's thought, "but beautiful."

'I'm glad you like it, my darkness.'

"Are Hoodie and Masky here?"

'Yes.' Her father opened the door and led the way inside. A warmth and a sense of familiarity washed over her after she shut the door behind her. She turned around from shutting the door to see she was in a small mud room. Specks of dirt and blood decorated the walls and floor. 'Come, Nyx.'

Nyx hurried after her father, leaving the bloody room behind. A rather large room opened up before her. Two large couches were pushed into an L-shape in front of a big television, which was not on right now. Nyx had never really watched television before, usually finding amusement in her father's books. 

A doorway was to her right. She looked through it to see a room filled with shadows. There was no way her eyes could penetrate the darkness. She followed her father through another doorway.

The kitchen.

She smiled when she saw the house's other occupants sitting at the table, holding playing cards. They were playing a game unknown to her.

'Boys, we've returned.'

Hoodie and Masky looked up from their game. They nodded acknowledgement to her father before looking at her. Immediately she felt self-conscious about the blood that raced down her face. What if they did not like what she had done? Would they leave her alone?

"Hi," she said shyly.

As her father approached the two they seemed to cower away from him. 'Relax, boys,' her father said. 'I know everything. I do offer my thanks for you not killing my daughter. It would have been terrible for you if you had.'

"We don't kill kids unless you order it," Hoodie responded, body relaxing as he realized he was not in trouble.

Nyx gave a small smile of encouragement to the red and black masked man. Then what he said sank in. Her father ordered them to murder children? Her father ordered them to kill people?

Then she remembered what she had just done. The man's blood and brain matter was drying on her face, making it itch a little. Her father had not ordered her to kill; she had done that on her own. That made her a murderer. And if the others killed as well, then they all had something in common. 

"Nice paint." Hoodie's raspy voice broke through her thoughts. "Did you partake?"

She folded her hands behind her back, bashfully looking down. "I passed the test."

"Test?"

"I could not scream." She stared at her bloody boots. "I killed him, with a rock. He screamed, but I didn't."

'You did beautifully, my dear.' A glass of water appeared before her, being held by a tentacle. She took it without hesitation. 'Masky, Hoodie, I believe you have met my daughter.'

"We met earlier."

'Nyx will be joining the household every other weekend.' Her father turned his featureless face to the two men. 'Her safety is one of my top priorities, which is why her time outside will be limited. Some of our. . . visitors will not understand that she is off limits to killing.'

"Well at least you can come out more often." Masky peered passed his companion to look at Nyx. "You won't go completely stir crazy and destroy shit."

Her father glanced up at the clock on the wall. Nyx looked at it too. It was almost eleven at night. 'Toby is not home yet?'

Hoodie shook his head. "He sent a message. Said he was caught in the storm about three hours out. Should be here by morning."

'Very well. Nyx, go ahead and get cleaned up then go to bed.'

"Yes, Papa." Nyx handed her glass to the tentacles that had been waiting patiently for her to finish. "Good night, Hoodie, Masky."

"Night, kid," Masky returned as Hoodie said, "Sweet nightmares, Nyx."

Nyx turned away from the three as her father approached the men. She could hear whispers but did not turn to acknowledge them. She retraced her steps from earlier and was actually surprised when she found the stairs. A tremor of fear rippled down her spine. In her mind she replayed the tumble she took. Her body may have healed, but her mind would not allow her to even touch the first step.

There was a sigh behind her then suddenly someone was picking her up with one arm supporting her back and the other under her knees. She squirmed to get out of their grip. 

"Hold still," Masky's deep voice growled in her ear.

Nyx immediately went limp in his arms. She looked up at his masked face. Why was he helping her? She didn't want to cause trouble. "I could've done it myself," she muttered defiantly.

"Oh, yeah?" Masky paused somewhere near the middle of the staircase. "Here then." He started to lower her towards the stairs. Nyx whimpered and clutched at his jacket. "That's what I thought. You'd have stood there for hours before you fucking moved." He continued up the stairs. "Don't make this a daily thing when you come out of you room, princess," he muttered. "It's a pain in the ass to carry you."

"I know," Nyx whispered, embarrassed and ashamed for being too scared to climb the stairs. "Thank you, Masky."

"Sure thing, kid. Fuck, you smell bloody."

"I did just kill a man," she reminded him.

Masky nodded his head once. "Are you going to do it again?"

Nyx rested her head on his shoulder. "Maybe. Thanks again," she said once he reached the top of the stairs and set her down on her feet. 

"Get some rest, Nyx." He turned to descend the stairs. 

"Hey, will you be here when Papa lets me out?" She tried to keep the hope out of her voice, but must have failed. 

Masky looked over his shoulder at her. "That depends on your father. He is my boss, and if he says I have to go somewhere then I have to go. I can't guarantee anything."

"Okay. Thank you for being truthful with me." Nyx stifled a yawn as she twisted away from the top of the stairs. Killing was more tiresome than she imagined.


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyx is twelve. The song for this chapter is "The Animal" by Disturbed.

Nyx stared at the couple as they pressed their lips together. She did not know what was going on, but that did not matter to her. She waited, watching as the man pushed the woman against a tree. 

She took a small step to the right, and her foot dislodged a rock. She gritted her teeth in frustration as the stone rolled across the leaf covered ground a foot or two.

"What was that?"

Nyx stifled her groan of annoyance and backed further in the shadows cast by the trees. The couple separated, and the man turned to peer into the darkness where she was hiding. Carefully, she started to move to the left, taking better care as to not hit another rock. 

"It must have been a deer or something," the man commented, and Nyx stopped to listen. "We are right next to a field. They'll be eating." His hands found the woman's hips. "They won't pay us any attention."

The woman did not look as confident as her partner. "Are you sure?"

"Of course." Nyx could hear the exasperation in his voice. 

Nyx winced as the man and woman went back to kissing. Then, for a moment, she wondered what it felt like, having someone else's mouth being pressed against hers. She stared another moment before mentally scolding herself for thinking about it. She was only twelve years old; there was no need to be thinking about such things. 

Besides, she was on a mission.

Her father had wanted to test her again, but this was not the same as the one she took two years ago. He had wanted to her to track down a victim and take their life without him there to help. He also told her that someone would be watching from the shadows; he would not tell her who it was, but that they would jump in to help her if her life was truly in danger. She had agreed to the test, wanting him to keep up his part of the bargain to allow her more freedom from her room, more than the once every two weeks.

She had to get this right. 

Nyx glanced at the sky. A sliver of silver was all she could see of the moon, but the stars gave her the right amount of light to set her trap. She changed course and started heading towards the couple. They were too engrossed in each other to notice the faintest rustle of leaves. When she was within ten feet of them, she stopped. Slowly she shrugged the small bag off her shoulder and down her arm to her hand. The zipper was already halfway undone. From the bag, she pulled out a spool of thin white rope. One end was frayed from being cut from a larger spool. The other end was wound in an intricate knot that would tighten as it was pulled, and tied in a small circle. 

Glancing back at the couple, she quietly scrambled up into a tree with a few lower branches, leaving her bag on the ground; she needed the space if she wanted this to work. Once she was situated, she wrapped the frayed end around the truck a few times then tied it tight. She carefully draped the other end around a branch above her. Then she slowly lowered the looped end. Her breathing started to become heavy as the adrenaline kicked in, and she forced herself to breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. 

"Fuck, baby."

Nyx wrinkled her nose as primitive moans and grunts came from the couple. With one hand on the rope, she reached up and grabbed a small branch that looked dead. She was in luck; when she yanked down, it snapped.

The sounds below her abruptly stopped.

"Someone's out there," the woman whimpered, swiveling her head from side to side, eyes wide.

The man groaned as he backed away from his companion. He turned to face Nyx's tree. "Okay, whoever's out there better fucking come out, right fucking now!" He puffed out his chest, and Nyx tried not to roll her eyes at his arrogance. When she threw the branch to the ground, it created a loud crunch in the leaves below. The man took a few steps away from the woman. "Who's there?!"

"Do-Don't go," the woman begged. "Please?"

"I said, who the fuck is out there?!"

"Nathan, let's just go."

Nyx broke off another branch. 

The man's eyes grew wider as he peered into the trees. "Probably a deer," he said out loud. It seemed like he was trying to reassure himself. "Or a raccoon." He took a few more steps into the shadows, leaving his companion cowering against the tree. "Come out!"

Nyx tossed the second branch; it landed on the opposite side her tree. Her heart beat slowed as the man finally took the bait. He marched into the darkness towards her. 

Her aim was really close. 

The man walked just a foot away from the loop. 

Nyx ground her teeth in frustration then gave the rope a little swing. 

"What the - "

Nyx pulled on the rope. The man let out a weird squelching gasp as the rope tightened around his neck. Like a fish that had been hooked, the man started to struggle, flailing his arms almost comically. She watched as his hands finally found the braided rope that encircled his neck, his blunt nails digging into his flesh in a desperate attempt to free himself. 

"Nathan?!" 

Nyx looked away from the struggling man to the woman. She had her arms crossed over her chest, her hands gripping her sweater. 

"Nathan? Where'd you go?! Come on! This isn't funny anymore!" Her voice grew in pitch as she released a tide of word vomit. "If this is a joke, you better forget about getting laid tonight!" Her wide eyes scanned the trees. "Men are such asshole."

Nyx rolled her eyes. 

The man caught in her rope was starting to grow still. His arms fell to his sides, and his head drooped until his chin was against his chest. His eyes were open. 

Slowly, Nyx released the rope until the slack was gone. The man dangled with his knees just barely brushing the forest floor. The tips of his shoes and his shins kept him from swaying. 

"Nathan!"

Nyx frowned and carefully scrambled down the tree trunk. She stared at the man's face. When she looked closer she could see that the whites of his eyes were almost black with blood. Her foot kicked her bag as she got closer.

"That better be you, Nathan!"

One down. That should have been the end to her test. But then she remembered something Hoodie had told her one day: "It there are witnesses or others involved, kill them. Do not leave loose ends."

She squatted down and reached into her bag. Her fingers found the smaller piece of rope she had brought. She gripped an end in each hand then twisted her wrists around a few times so the rope was wound around her closed fists. Slowly she stalked towards the woman, keeping low.

The woman shivered, pushing away from the trees, leaving a gap.

Nyx pounced.

The rope slipped over the woman's head as Nyx jumped on her back. Both fell to the ground. Nyx pulled the rope taut against the woman's throat. The woman let out a strangled scream, which ended in a rasping choke. Her body flailed as she tried to dislodge Nyx. 

Nyx grunted and abruptly pinned the woman's arms down with her knees. 

The woman's efforts to escape started to falter. The muscles in her arms loosened. Her ribs stilled. 

Nyx waited at least two more minutes before she released her right hand from the rope. She pushed the tips of her fore and middle fingers against the side of the woman's neck.

No pulse.

No loose ends.

"Rope seems to be your weapon of choice."

Nyx's head whipped up as a tall figure came forward from the darkness. The white hooded shirt and bright white face made him look almost phantom-like. The black jeans and sneakers blended in with the shadows. His face was not the prettiest to look at: halfway healed scabs from the corners of his mouth to right below his cheekbones, only jagged pieces of flesh for eyelids, and deep sooty rings around his wild dark eyes. She watched as the man slid a long sharp knife from the pocket on the front of his hoodie. 

"The noose idea was fuckin' stupid, though, so I'm docking points for it." The man poked the tip of the strangled man's nose with his knife. Blood leaked from the small cut. "Messy. You have a lot to learn."

"I killed him though,"Nyx pointed out. "That was the test." She glared at the newcomer. His name was Jeffrey Woods, but he preferred to be called Jeff. He was an ass; another thing Hoodie had taught her. 

"Yes, but your father would have greater expectations from you." Jeff kneeled down beside the man. "I guess you pass, but only because you made up for this fuckin' mistake by killing her." He pulled up the man's shirt to reveal a tanned torso. 

Nyx broke her glare. "Do you think Papa would be proud?"

"Are you sure he even gives a fuck?"

"Of course he does."

Jeff glanced up from cutting a square into the man's back. Blood oozed from the wound. "I'm sure he does, princess," he said with a sarcastic smile on his cut face. 

"Why are you being such an ass, cutter?"

"The fuck you call me?"

Nyx barely had time to realize her mistake when heavy steps thundered towards her then a heavy weight crashed into her. She and Jeff rolled in the leaf litter until Jeff had her pinned, straddling her waist, hands holding her arms down. Her rope was long gone, lost in the darkness. She stared up into crazed eyes.

"I am not a cutter," Jeff snarled, squeezing her wrists. "I am beautiful. These cuts -see them? Do you fucking see them?!" he demanded, spit flying and hitting her face. "They are what make me beautiful. Without them, I am ugly, just like others, just like you." He leaned forward until the tip of his nose just barely touched hers. "You think you're beautiful, princess? You're not. You're not even pretty. You're an ugly, scar-less little shit." 

Nyx hocked a wad of spit at his face. "Fuck you," she snarled, watching in savage satisfaction as his face betrayed his shock. "Get the fuck off me!"

Jeff stared at her a moment longer before he fell over to the side, releasing her arms. A roar of laughter filled the still night air. "You fuckin - You - " he broke off with another bout of loud chuckles. 

Nyx slowly got to her feet. "You are insane," she grumbled at Jeff, who had finally stopped laughing and was gasping for breath. She nudged him the toe of her boot. "So did I pass or not, you dick?" Nice, she thought, I'm using many things Hoodie taught me. 

"Y-Yeah, yeah," Jeff wheezed as he clambered to his feet. "I'm going to get some of their organs. A treat for a bud. When I'm done, we'll bury the bodies. No need for the cops to find them easily." He wiped the spit off his face with the sleeve of his hoodie. "And remember, princess, spitters are quitters."

Nyx furrowed her brows in confusion, but decided not to ask him what that meant.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyx is still twelve.

"I heard you passed."

Nyx looked up from mending her jacket. When Jeff had tackled her, a twig or sharp rock had ripped a hole in the sleeve. Masky was leaning against the wall by the doorway leading to the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah." She settled back into the familiar leather of the sofa. She returned to her mending.

"You don't seem so excited about it."

"It was. . . exhilarating as first," she said after a moment. "But now, it doesn't feel like I've made any progress with getting Papa to let me out more often. That was what the test was about." She flinched when the needle poked the tip of her forefinger. A bead of blood surface for a moment before returning to the vein. She sighed quietly. "I'm twelve, and I just killed two people by myself. That should be proof enough that I can survive out here for longer periods."

Masky was quiet as she ranted. With a flash of confusing annoyance, she thought he had left. But then he appeared beside her on the couch, leaning back with a sigh. 

"You are still human, Nyx," he reminded her.

"I am aware of that," she grumbled.

"Then you are also aware that we are all stronger than you. Some of the visitors will not care that you are the Slender Man's daughter. They'll try to kill you."

Nyx tied off the string and use her teeth to snipped it. "It's still not fair."

"Life's not fucking fair," Masky snarled. Nyx twisted her upper body to face him. Through the holes in his mask, she could see that his dark eyes were narrowed. "'My name is Nyx and I feel like a prisoner in my own home because Daddy Dearest wants to keep me safe. Boo-hoo-hoo. I killed two people, and now I feel like a bad ass! Boo-hoo.'" His eyes narrowed into slits. "Shut the fuck up, princess."

Nyx glared at the masked man. That nickname was getting really old, really fast. They stared at each other for few moments, silently daring the other to say something. 

Nyx broke it. 

"Why are you acting like such a dick?"

Masky's eyes flashed with confusion. "Did you just call me a dick?"

"Yes," Nyx replied defiantly. "You are acting like a dick."

"And you're acting like a snot-nosed priss."

Nyx got up from the couch, jacket in one hand and the needle in the other. She walked away from the couch and Masky. She was not in the mood to deal with him anymore. She was not in the mood to deal with anyone. With a growl she stowed the needle and leftover thread in her pocket. She marched out of the room to the stairs. Her grumblings dissipated as she came to halt at the bottom stair. A part of her wanted to go back and ask Masky to help her upstairs, but she would not give him the pleasure of her groveling to him.

Instead she tugged on her jacket before twisting her upper body towards the railing. She wrapped one her arms around the sturdy wood, and placed her other hand on the wooden supports. Taking a deep breath she inched her way onto the first step. Her heart felt like it was about to leap from her chest. Her lungs fought to keep her breathing.

At a snail's pace, she started up the stairs, sliding her arm along the railing and gripping each support tightly. 

"What the fuck is she doing?"

"She's scared of stairs."

"Oh for fuck's sake. Help the princess!"

She barely made it a third of the way when familiar arms scooped her up, forcing her to release her death grip on the railing. Masky cradled her against his warm chest. She refused to look at him, crossing her arms over her chest. 

When they reached the top, she quickly got to her feet when he suddenly released her. "You're still a dick," she snarled.

"And you're still a priss."

Nyx ignored him and marched to her room. It did not surprise her when she discovered her father standing near the window, staring out at the shadows.

'Jeffrey said you had a few mishaps tonight.'

Nyx looked down in shame as the door shut behind her.

'But you managed to pass. Jeffrey told me how you dealt with the woman. He was impressed.'

That made Nyx look up. She stared at her father's thin back. Jeff had never been impressed by her, even after a year of knowing him. 

'He thinks you will make a decent killer, if you continue like this.' The Slender Man turned to face his daughter. 'I believe you achieved your end of our deal, my darkness, so I shall hold up my end. I will alter the wards to allow you - '

"Actually, Papa, may I change my request?"

The Slender Man stared at his daughter.

"I would like my room to be moved to the first floor of the manor." She blinked up at him. "It's not a secret that I have an irrational fear of the stairs. But whenever I go near them, I become terrified." She returned her gaze to the carpet. "I know it's not okay to be scared of something so stupid, so I figured if I move my room then I would not have any problems."

Her father was silent for a few moments. 'Masky told me about the fall you took down those stairs, when we returned from the first time I took you hunting. While irrational, it is still a fear. But one you must overcome one day if you plan to continue killing for me.' He walked over to her. 'Not all of your mission goals will be found in the forest, Nyx. Some will be in houses with more than one floor, and you must conquer your fear in order to complete the mission.' He rested a large hand on Nyx's shoulder. 'But for now I agree that moving you to the first floor would be a great idea.'

Nyx smiled up at her father's blank face. "Thank you, Papa."

The Slender Man moved his hand to ruffle her hair.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyx is now fifteen. The song for this chapter is "Dope Show" by Marilyn Manson. Also, as a side note, if you are against smoking marijuana then this chapter is not for you. Descriptive pot smoking.

"Nyx! Nyx! NYX!"

"Yes?" Nyx glanced up from her book to focus on the man who called her name. 

BEN Drowned was an annoying presence in the manor. He used to be a visitor until he took up residence in the room closest to the living room. He wanted to be closer to the television and the gaming systems he brought into the manor. Usually found dressed a green tunic with a brown belt fastened around his waist, off white tights, brownish gold shoes, and a pointed green hat, he looked like a Peter Pan knockoff. His eyes were unusual as well. The whites were black and the iris was red, and he always seemed to be crying blood, which shockingly did not stain his tunic. 

"Why the fuck you readin' at the table?"

Nyx arched an eyebrow, frowning. "Because I'd rather get lost in a book than turn my brain to mush playing video games." She lowered her gaze back to her book. "Go away, BEN."

"You're goin' to spend your free day reading?" he asked in disbelief. "You can just read in your dungeon."

Nyx shrugged her shoulders. "I like to read."

"Well, I have something better for you than a dusty old book."

"Enlighten me."

"Fuckin' God, you're such a nerd. Shouldn't fifteen year old girls be talking about boys and trying on makeup and talking about buying a big house with their dream man?"

"BEN, even if I wanted to talk about such things, who the hell would I discuss them with?"

"Ooh, the Slender Man's daughter knows how to curse."

Nyx rolled her eyes before shutting her book with an audible sigh. Guess she wasn't going to get any reading done, not as long as BEN was around. "Alright, you have my attention, you dick."

BEN grinned wide. "Good. That was the first part of my plan."

"And what is the next part? Annoy me some more?"

"Nope," he said, popping the 'p.' He raised his hand above the surface of the table. A crinkled brown paper sack was clutched in his hand. "My next plan is to help you relax."

Nyx blinked slowly. "Relax? With a paper bag?"

BEN smiled mischievously. "Come with me."

Knowing he was not going to leave her alone, Nyx got up from the table and followed him into the living room. 

"Sit."

Nyx plopped down on the softer of the two couches. She sank into the leather as BEN pulled an old radio from the shadows. He gave the cord a tug to make sure it was plugged in before switching it on. Music filled the shadowy room. "Why music?"

"It helps," he replied simply. 

"If you say so."

"Trust me. It helps." BEN joined her, setting the bag beside him. He reached down and retrieved a plate from under the couch. "Don't want to lose any," he said when she looked confused.

Nyx watched, half fascinated and half confused, as he took a strange glass thing from the bag. He set it down on the plate, and she could see that one end was large than the other and hollowed out like a miniature bowl. The other end was thinner with a small hole. Then he took out another bag. This one was clear and filled with a weird green substance. It gave off a funny smell, almost like a skunk.

"What is that?"

"All in good time, princess."

Nyx growled at the nickname.

BEN opened the bag, releasing more of the strange smell. "It smells funny, doesn't it?" he asked, reaching in to pinch a bit of the green substance. "The dude said it was new. Strong stuff." He flashed Nyx a playful smirk. "It won't take long for you to get high."

"High?"

"You'll see, Princess Darkness." A few more pinches and the bowl was filled with the green stuff. BEN returned the clear bag to the paper one, and set it and the plate on the floor. "Now where the fuck -" He dug in a pocket Nyx had not seen on his tunic. "A-fucking-ha." He pulled out a bright green lighter. "Watch what I do."

Nyx stared as he brought the narrow end of the weird glass thing to his lips. "See this hole?" His thumb brushed against a small opening in the side of the bowl. "Keep your thumb on it when you light it. Breathe in slowly. Count to three or four, then take your thumb off. Keep breathing in." He placed his lips on the narrow end and lit the green stuff with lighter. Nyx counted to four in her head, watching as the green stuff turned ashy. BEN turned off the lighter. His thumb moved away from the hole, then he sucked in a deep breath. Nyx could see smoke racing through the glass thing from the bowl into his mouth. He lowered it a bit and took another breath. "Keep it in as long as you can," he said, though he sounded funny, as if talking while inhaling. "Then release." A stream of whitish smoke came forth when he finally exhaled. He made a sound of satisfactory as the smoke wafted around them. "Here." He handed her the glass thing and the lighter.

"What is it?"

"It's a pipe," BEN managed to say before he started to cough. "A-And that st-stuff - ugh - is weed."

"Weed? Like the ones growing outside."

"N-Not exact-exactly." BEN thumped his fist against his chest then cleared his throat. "Holy shit, that's good shit."

Nyx furrowed her brow in confusion. What did he mean, it's good shit? "It's not actually crap, is it?"

BEN chuckled. "Nah, princess. Fuck you ask a lot of questions. Just smoke."

Copying the strange elf, Nyx brought the narrow part to her lips. She lit the green stuff as she breathed in. 

"Don't forget to put your thumb over the hole," BEN said, "or you'll just burn it."

She shut off the lighter, corrected her grip and tried again. 

"Count to four."

One. Two. Three. Four.

"Move your thumb. Breathe in, slowly."

Nyx flicked her thumb to the side and inhaled. Smoke filled her mouth then passed down her throat to her lungs. She hacked. It felt the smoke was stuck. 

"Easy, princess. Exhale slowly. It'll get easier." BEN took the pipe from her. She opened her eyes as a cloud of smoke escaped from her mouth. It hung in the air, hardly dissapating. "Here." A water bottle was thrust into her hand, the cap already removed. She took a couple large gulps. The taste of the smoke faded, but there was still a feeling something hanging at the beginning of her throat. "Not bad, huh?"

"It tastes funny," Nyx said as BEN used the pipe again.

"I know," he said in that funny inhaling voice. "It gets easier." He passed the bowl back to her. "Learn from your mistakes. Take another hit."

Nyx nodded and took another 'hit.' This time she took her time with the inhaling part. The smoke went down easier. Her exhale was smoother. 

"Better?"

Nyx nodded, handing the pipe back to BEN "Hey, BEN?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you being nice to me?"

"Aren't all knaves supposed to be nice to their princesses?"

"You know what I mean," Nyx grumbled. "Hell, you tried killing me the first time you saw me."

BEN took a deep hit then turned to Nyx. He exhaled the smoke in her face. "I felt sorry for you."

"Why?"

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" He handed her the bowl. "You're fucking fifteen, and you're still under room arrest! You're still only allowed out once every two weeks."

"Dad lets me go on missions," Nyx countered.

"And how many of those missions are being done without someone keeping tabs on you? Fuck, princess, even when you're out there you have someone watching you, ready to report to your father if something gets fucked up."

"It's not all that bad?" Nyx hid her annoyance by taking another hit. This time she inhaled way more than last time. Her lungs burned, but she was not going to give BEN the satisfaction of watching her choke. "I mean, fuck. I don't know."

BEN wiped a stray bloody tear from his cheek.

They fell into a somewhat tense silence, filled only by music and the slight cough after one of them inhaled too deeply. Nyx became aware of a thickness that was encasing her head, pressing a bit on her brain. In slow motion, she turned her head to look at BEN, who had a dopey grin on his face. 

"How you feeling over there?"

"I don't know." A giggle erupted from her. "I feel so. . . so light. Light."

BEN laughed along with her. 

"What the fuck you laughing at?"

"You're fuckin' high, princess." BEN handed her the bowl. "One more."

"Just one more."

"If you say so."

Nyx could barely contain her giggles as she took another hit. 

"What the fuck? BEN!"

Nyx and BEN stared at each other, eyes widening. "I thought every one was gone?" Nyx loudly whispered.

"I thought so too," BEN said just as loud.

"Nyx?"

With the bowl still in hand, Nyx turned to slowly peer over the back of the couch. She had to grip the leather to steady herself. "Yes?" she asked. Before she could stop herself, she glanced at BEN "Hey, what's this song?"

"'Sexy Can I' by Ray J ," BEN replied. "It's the radio edit version so it sucks ass."

"I like it." Nyx found herself swaying her shoulders to the beat of the music. 

"Nyx!"

Nyx turned back to the two men standing in the doorway. Jeff's face was a mixture of disbelief and amusement. She couldn't see what Masky was thinking because of his mask. "You two aren't supposed to be here," she accused in a stage-whisper.

"And you're not supposed to be smoking pot," Jeff counter.

Nyx returned to gaze at BEN. "Pot? I thought you said it was weed."

"It's called a lot of things, princess." BEN reclined against the arm of the couch. "Weed. Pot. Mary Jane. Sticky icky." Nyx snorted at that. "Chronic. Cloud chaser. Take your pick."

"Definitely not 'sticky icky,'" Nyx remarked before losing herself to another fit of giggles. "Who the fuck comes up with this shit? The same people who came up with 'spitters are quitters?'"

BEN laughed loudly. "Oh shit! I forgot about that!"

"I bet you still don't even know what that means." Nyx twisted around as the scarred man sat down on the carpet in front of the couch. 

"Yes, I do."

"Nah, you're too pure."

"It means you're a quitter if you spit out semen after giving a man a blowjob. It's derogatory and offensive. I don't think people use the term anymore."

"Fuckin' nerd," BEN muttered.

Jeff stared at her; not like he could do much else, since he did not have eyelids. "Give me that fuckin' weed, BEN."

"You didn't put in on it, fucker."

"Just give me it!"

Nyx felt a weight drop down on the couch beside her. It made her weight shift, and she fell back against someone's chest. When she looked up, she noticed it was Masky. His beautiful mask was glaring down at her, but his dark eyes were half-lidded with amusement. 

"And where did you learn that?" he asked.

"BEN." 

Masky whipped his face up to glare at the elf-man. "Did he now?" Nyx glanced at BEN, who was busy trying to keep the pipe away from Jeff. "What the fuck have you been teaching her, asshole?"

"No one else was going to tell her."

"All you did was tell her?"

BEN gave up fighting with Jeff, who let out a whoop of triumph before pulling a lighter from his hoodie pocket, and returned Masky's glare. "Do I look like the type of guy who would whip out my dick and force the princess to suck it? Fuck, man. No. She asked, and I told her the truth."

Masky looked down at Nyx. "Is that true?"

Nyx nodded. She knew what a dick was; she had seen pictures of penises in one of her father's anatomy books. BEN had no malicious intent when he told her the truth behind the phrase. In fact he satisfied her curiosity by answer all her questions, though he did throw in some of his weird ass humor. "He didn't make me do anything," she reassured Masky.

His dark eyes narrowed again behind his mask, but he didn't press the matter anymore. Nyx resumed leaning against him, soaking in his warmth. She felt light-headed, but not in a dizzy sort of way. A thick cloud of smoke took over her vision. She glared down at Jeff, but took the bowl and lighter when he offered it to her.

"Toke up, princess."

"Toke?" she asked as brought the pipe to her lips.

"It means smoke," BEN explained. 

When she took her hit, she held it out of Masky. He slid his arm around her body, causing her fall further against his chest, and took it. 

For quite awhile the four of them sat and smoked. Once the green inside the bowl was reduced to nothing but ashes, BEN put the bowl on the plate at his feet. 

"How you feelin', darkness princess?"

"Mm. . ." She tried to think about it, but her head was too fuzzy. "I think I'm good." She glanced up at Masky. "Am I good?"

He nodded. "You're good."

"I like feeling good."

"Be grateful your father is hunting," Jeff said. He was now lying on his back, arms behind his head. "He would have such a shit fit if he saw you high, especially with us."

"Why especially with you?" Nyx asked.

"Don't be blind, Nyx," Jeff said with a giggle. "A teenage girl getting high was three full grown men. That image alone would not paint a pretty picture in any father's eyes."

Nyx stared down at the carved man. "But we are getting along."

"Oh, Nyx, Nyx, Nyx," Jeff tutted. "Your father would think we were trying to take advantage of you." He look up at her and caught her confused look. "He'd probably think we're getting you high to sleep with you."

"Sleep with me?"

"Sex, Nyx."

Her cheeks burned with a blush against her will. "Oh." She shifted her weight for a moment. "You're not going to, are you?"

It was Masky who answered. "No. We're not going to do that to you." Nyx looked up at his masked face. "You're the Slender Man's daughter. He'd murder us if we did anything to you."

"I don't want him to do that," Nyx said after moment. "I mean, I like you guys. I consider you friends. And Hoodie! We can't forget Hoodie. He's a friend too."

"Killers don't have friends, Nyx." Jeff sat up and shook out his mane of jet black hair. From this angle, Nyx could see brown roots near his skull. Time was starting to heal him a bit. Eventually his hair would go back to its natural color. "We have partners, unless we do solo missions."

Nyx tried to hide her hurt. "I still consider you guys friends," she stated. "What's the name of this song?" she asked after a moment. 

"It's called 'Fall For You,'" Masky muttered into her ear. His warm breath sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. She didn't know why; it confused her. "The band is Secondhand Serenade."

Nyx nodded slightly. "It's a pretty song." She snuggled further into the man's chest. "This is nice."

BEN smirked at her. "The weed or the cuddling with Masky."

"We're not cuddling," Nyx grumbled. 

The elf-man made a sound of disbelief. "Sure you're not." He nudged Jeff's leg with his foot. "Tell me, my smiling pal, if they are or are not cuddling."

Jeff cupped his chin and surveyed Nyx and Masky as if they were a piece of art. "Hm. Hmmm. Mhm." He dropped his hand and flashed a grin at BEN. "I believe you are indeed cuddling."

Masky raised his hand and flipped him off. 

Nyx giggled at the absurdity of it all. Never in her life had she imagined she would be getting high with these three, or lying against one of them. It was a change of pace from her usual solitary reading or watched-over mission. There were no rules to abide by. No father here to tell her to stay away from the others; he seemed to be doing that more often, ever since she started her period last year. 

"What's so funny, princess?"

Masky's breath warmed her ear. "I don't know," she lied, trying to ignore the heat coming from his body. "Do you ever wonder what you would be doing now if you had not become killers?"

Her words were met with silence, and she could feel the tension build between the four of them.

"Honestly, I'd probably still be terrorizing people on CleverBot," said BEN, after a moment. "It's fun to watch them try to figure out if it's a robot or a real person beyond the screen. The conversations I have had with people. . . It was like I was looking through a window into their souls." He smiled and nudged Jeff again. "What about you, Je-fa-fa?"

Jeff's usual staring eyes turned thoughtful. "I don't know. Either be in a community college somewhere, or dead in a ditch from overdosing on meth or something." He shrugged. "Or locked up in an institute because I'm a danger to society." 

"I love how you can say that so calmly."

"'Cause I'm high as fuck."

"What about you, Masky?" Nyx twisted slightly to look up at him. 

The masked man was silent for a couple heartbeats. "I would've graduated college, probably got a degree in filming or some shit." He shook his head as if dislodging bad thoughts. "I'd rather be who I am now though. More freedom."

"That I can agree with," Jeff said, and BEN made a confirming sound.

Nyx returned to leaning fully against Masky. 

These men were normal people before they became who they are today. They had lives. They had families. Then something happened that made them snap, making them into vicious killers. She actually felt a bit guilty that she still had a father who cared about her well-being.


	10. Chapter Nine

Nyx scrunched her face in concentration. The rug she was aiming for was just four feet away; she could easily make it. She jumped without giving it another thought. She landed with a skid, the rug bunching a bit under her socked feet. She wobbled for a moment on the folds before regaining her balance. 

"Shit," she breathed. 

She glanced around to see what would be her next stepping stone to the couch. There was a pair of boots left by the couch, covered in blood splotches and mud. 

There was no way she could manage it perfectly.

But she had to try.

Nyx braced herself then jumped the two feet to the boots. Her right foot landed square on one of them, but her left slipped. In her mind she could smell the burning flesh. 

"Ouch!" she crowed for effect.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Nyx, startled, shifted her weight and let out another faux yelp of pain as her heel brushed the carpet. She glanced over her shoulder to see Jeff staring at her in confusion. "Damn it. Don't scare me." She returned her gaze to the couch. "I'm concentrating."

"On what?"

"Getting to the couch," she said.

"Just walk."

"And fall in the lava? Fuck you, smiles." Nyx saw the corner of a pillow peeking out over the arm of the couch. With a grunt, Nyx reached out and snagged the very tip of the pillow. "Yes! A loose rock!" She gave the pillow a pull, and it fell to the ground a few feet away. "Almost there."

"How old do you think you are?" Jeff griped. "Six?"

"I'm fifteen, and you know it, you ass," Nyx retorted, shooting a glare over her shoulder. "Just because you've lost the ability to have fun doesn't mean you can fuck up mine." 

The older killer went quiet behind her, and Nyx turned back to her task.

"Move your ass," came a grumbled from behind her. "This... rock is hot."

Nyx almost fell off the boots. For the third time she looked over her shoulder. Jeff was looking at her expectantly, standing on the carpet she had just left. She smirked at him. "We're almost to safety, Jeff," she said with a laugh. 

"Get a move on."

Nyx nodded, sticking the tip of her tongue out. Her eyes narrowed as she gauged the distance. She took a moment to prepare herself then jumped. With a yelp, she overshot her jump, her knees crashing into the arm of the couch. There was a snort of laughter from behind her as she scrambled over the arm onto the large cushion.

"Doesn't that count as broken legs?" Jeff laughed. "You would have fallen into the lava and burnt to a fucking crisp."

Nyx scrambled onto the other cushion so Jeff had some room. There was a thump and a grunt behind her. 

"Fucking lava," Jeff grumbled as he settled on the couch, folding his legs. "So why the fuck are you playing a childish game anyways?"

Nyx shrugged. "Boredom."

"Fair enough," Jeff said after a pause.

"Hey, smiley. I have a question for you?"

"What?"

"How can you handle not blinking?"

Jeff turned his scarred face to her. His unblinking eyes were hardly red, which always shocked Nyx. "Your father got tired of me bitching about eye drops and used his 'slender-magic' on me." He pointed at his right eye. "They're there, but invisible."

Nyx cocked her head to the side in confusion. "If he could restore your eyelids, then why make them invisible?" she asked.

"So I can never stop seeing how beautiful I am," he stated simply.

"Yeah, yeah, you're bloody gorgeous," Nyx muttered, but Jeff must have heard her because his wide grin grew bigger.

"You better fuckin' believe it, princess."

"What are you guys - "

"Holy fuck! BEN! You're going to burn in the lava!"

"What?"

"Get on the rock, fucker!"

"Jeff, what the fu -"

"Oh my gods! Burning flesh reeks!"

"All right, I'll play along, dickheads." The elfman hopped onto the couch, landing square between Nyx and Jeff. "Why are we doing this?"

Nyx shrugged. "Boredom."

"Well allow me to alleviate the boredom." BEN produced a bowl of weed and a lighter from his pocket.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyx is now eighteen years old.

Snow.

The thing Nyx hated the most. 

It was too cold and too bright.

She would not even be out in this frozen waste if her father had not given her a mission that was urgent. She had wanted to argue with him, to ask why he couldn't make one of the others do it. But the way her father stressed how important this mission was, she could not really say no.

The last time she had been out of her room, Jeff had taunted her relentlessly when she stated she did not like snow. He was merciless. Nyx did not want him to treat her like a wuss the next time she saw him. So when her father mentioned a mission that would only take a day or two, she jumped at the opportunity.

Now she was starting to regret it.

Even bundled in a thick winter jacket and leather gloves, she was still freezing. Glancing up at the sky above the treetops, she estimated it was about three o clock, which gave her a solid hour and a half of sunlight left. If she did not reach her destination in time, she would have to spend the night in the freezing cold.

And, to make matters worse, being silent was not easy for her. The snow crunched under her boots, even when she used her stalking technique. 

But luck was on her side today. 

Barely a half hour had passed when the roof of a cabin came into view. Smoke curled from a metal chimney pipe. As she stepped over the rise, Nyx leaned against a dark colored tree. She was shocked by how big the dwelling was. It was an A-frame cabin with a large wooden porch on the back. Warm light shone through the tall windows; from where she stood, Nyx could see a chandelier through the thin white curtains that hung like sheets of ice.

In the back of her mind, Nyx wondered what it would be like to come to a place like this every now and then. To sit outside in a chair, soaking in the sun's rays. To have a fire in a small pit and chat with friends. From her perspective, she had spent too long in the darkness that such things seemed completely impossible. 

Nyx squatted down, hoping her clothes would help her blend in with her surrounding. Her father had insisted she wear a jacket that was pure white as a base then splattered with grey and black dots. It was meant for camouflage so she could hide among the trees and snow.

She waited as the sun fell behind the trees. The lights in the cabin became more noticeable as the settings around it darkened. 

When the sun was finally below the horizon and the blues and purples of night took over the red sunset, Nyx finally moved. Her joints were stiff from being so still for so long, and she had to pop them.

An owl hooted solemnly in the distance. 

Nyx slunk towards the cabin porch but paused when she heard a snowy crunch. She did not see anything when she glanced around. As her eyes scanned her surrounding, she looked for any signs of a dog. Sometimes there was a pet that would alert her victims to her presence. The first time that ever happened, Nyx barely escaped and had to deal with a severely pissed off Jeff. It was one of the days she was grateful she had a healing ability. Jeff had used her for target practice.

The back door was locked.

As were the windows.

Nyx sighed quietly. She had stupidly hoped this would be an easy mission. Hell, it was the middle of winter. Who the hell was going to break into this cabin in the middle of the night, other than her? That hairy big-footed creature BEN liked to talk about when he returned from surfing the internet? Unlikely.

Her annoyance changed to shock when she finally found a small window that was cracked a bit. Cupping her hands, she peered through the window. Not much could be seen, but she could just make out shelves littered with cans of food. A pantry, perhaps?

Nyx slowly slid the window up, surprised it did not catch on anything. When it was up as far as it could go, she hoisted herself onto the sill. For a moment she sat there, listening.

Nothing.

After swiftly glancing over her shoulder, she slid into the pantry. She was about to shut the window when BEN's voice muttered in her mind.

"Always know your escape route."

She left the window open.

The pantry door opened with a bit of resistance. A blanket had been shoved against the bottom of it, probably to keep out the cold that seeped in through the broken window. The room she stepped into was furnished with a high tech television and some entertainment systems. The furniture was made of the softest looking material she ever laid eyes on. A fire was still burning merrily in in its hearth. The warmth was welcoming.

A loud snore from an open doorway on the far side of the living room made her heart jump into her throat.

There was a shuffling as if someone was shifting in their sleep.

Nyx held her breath.

The movement stopped and another snore echoed out.

Nyx slid across the plush carpet, her boots making no sound, towards the door. From her jacket pocket she pulled out a length of rope. She twisted it around her gloved hands.

The light of the fire came in through the open door, making it easier for her to see. Her mission goal was lying in a bed against the wall. An abundance of covers and pillows were scattered across the bed. The man lay on his side, arms holding a pillow tight to his chest. 

He seemed harmless, but Nyx knew by now that looks could be deceiving. Due to how he was lying, Nyx knew she would not be able to get her rope into a proper killing position. She had to do something, but what?

The name of her goal flashed forward in her mind.

An idea came to her.

"Jordan?" she called softly, barely above a whisper.

"Mm. . ."

"Jordan, I missed you."

"Hm? I missed. . . missed you too. Mm."

Nyx lowered herself slowly. "Jordan." She gently blew out a breath, and the little hairs on the back of his neck wavered. 

A groan came from the sleeping man. He shifted onto his back, still clutching the pillow to his chest. His hips thrust upwards against the bottom of the pillow. "Oh, baby." His movements became more intense.

Nyx narrowed her eyes. This man was weird, and she was sick of seeing him breathe. She had read his file before leaving the manor. This man had a stash of photos somewhere in this cabin. Photos of women he had used. Photos that would put him away for life in prison. Photos of her father and some of the other killers she lived alongside. He was a problem that Nyx was sent to fix.

Tightening the slack on her rope, she lunged forward, straddling the man's pillow. She threw her whole weight into her attack, pressing the rope tight against his neck. The man's eyes flew open, and Nyx drank in the fear that shone in those pools of green. 

Then a fist came flying out of nowhere. It got her on the side of the face. With a grunt, Nyx was thrown off balance. She teetered for a moment before falling over. The man threw her off. She landed with a thud on the carpet.

"What the fuck?!"

The man threw himself over the edge of the bed. He landed on top of her. 

"You fucker. What the fuck is going on?!" His hand latched onto her hood and yanked it off. His shock lasted for a few moments before a malicious grin curled his lips. "A bitch! What the fuck are you doing up here?"

Nyx struggled against him, but his greater weight kept him pinned.   
"Don't struggle, baby." The man dropped her hood and reached for her jacket. "It only turns me on more."

"Get the fuck off me!" Nyx tried to buck her hips to dislodge him. "Now!"

"Now?" The man grinned down at her; Nyx struggled harder. "If you say so, bitch." A sharp slap to the face stunned her long enough for him to yank down the zipper of her coat. "Stop struggling, you slut." He ground his hips down. Nyx could feel something hard press against her stomach. She knew from reading her father's medical books that this man had an erection.

"Get off!" 

"I'm trying to do!" the man snarled with a grin. One of his hands gathered her wrists together and pinned them above her head. Nyx growled as the man's other hand grasped at her left breast. He squeezed, and Nyx yelped in pain. "You're a virgin, aren't you?" 

Nyx's eyes flew open wide. 

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I love virgins."

Nyx kicked her feet as his hand released her breast but shoved her shirt up to her neck. The cloth burned as it rubbed aggressively against her skin. "Get the fuck off me!" she screamed again. 

The man lowered his head.

A shout came from Nyx as teeth set into her neck. 

Then a tongue traced her racing pulse to her ear. 

"Don't worry, baby," the man whispered in her ear. "It won't hurt too much."

Her jeans were unbuttoned and the zipper was pulled down. 

A hand shoved its way into her pants, cupping her mound. 

"No! No no no no no!" Nyx kicked out again, and this time her knee met resistance. 

The man let out a curse as she dug her knee into his tailbone. His momentary distraction provided her enough time to break free from his hold and shoved her hands against his chest. "Get the fuck off!" The man fell back, and Nyx threw herself on top of him. His head smacked against the corner of a dresser as they dropped to the floor. Curling her lips in a snarl, she grabbed at his neck. Her thumbs pressed against his throat right under his Adam's apple. "Look at me."

The man's eyes rolled.

"Look at me!"

She lifted his head then slammed it against the floor. 

"I said look at me! I want to be the last thing you see." Nyx widened her eyes as his finally focused on her face. "You are scum! Pathetic!" She tightened her grip. "You are a rapist!" Tighter still. The vessels popped in the man's eyes, the whites turning red. Nyx leaned down until her lips just barely brushed his ear. "And now you're dead." She swiftly slid her hands up to his hair, gripped, and twisted. 

A loud snap echoed in the silence. 

Her hands released his hair.

His head dropped like a dead weight. 

Nyx sat on the man's corpse, breathing heavily. 

Then realization set in.

Her eyes burned with tears.

A choked sob ripped from her throat. 

She brought her hands to her face.

This man violated her.

She could still feel his hands on her.

A presence appeared beside her. No doubt the one her father had sent to look after her; he always did that when she was on a mission. There was a faint snapping of joints, and she knew exactly who was with her. 

Without thinking, she turned to the familiar presence and crashed into him, clutching his jacket until she thought her knuckles would burst through her skin. Her sobs filled the silence. Her tears soaked into his jacket. A gloved hand awkwardly patted her back.

"Why? Why did he do that?" she whispered, fighting to stop her tears. 

"Some people a-are like that." The hand rubbed her back a little harshly. Nyx knew it was not his fault; he could not feel like she could. "They on-only w-want one thing." He twitched, almost dislodging her. His other arm came up to hold her tight against him.

"Thank you." Nyx laid her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for coming."

"How far did he get?"

"N-Not far, I guess," she stammered. "He had. . . had his hand in my jeans."

He twitched, arm tightening. "Your f-father won't be h-happy about that."

"I know." She leaned away from him to look at his face.

The orange-yellow circular goggles were hanging around his neck, revealing his hardened dark brown eyes. His mouth guard - a metal contraption that formed to his jawline, bars attaching the top and bottom - hid his lower face; the skin that was visible was grey-tinged. His neck clicked softly as he cracked it without his hands. 

"You're lucky I f-followed you."

"My father sent you, didn't he?"

"Of course. Can't l-let his little prin-princess get too hurt."

Nyx stared at him. "Physically or emotionally?"

"Does it m-matter?" he growled. "My j-job was to follow you to make s-s-sure you didn't fuck up too ba-ad."

Nyx glanced over at the body. "I wish you would have gotten here sooner," she murmured.

"Then y-y-you would not h-have learned a-an-anything. N-Next time, you'll be f-faster."

That made Nyx bristle. Was he blaming her for being assaulted by a target? She shoved the twitching man away and got to her feet. She zipped and buttoned her jeans and tugged her shirt down. She felt dirty and shamed. "You stupid fuck!" She kicked the side of her target's face. It snapped to the side, eyes still wide even in death. "You. Stupid. Fucking. Bastard!" His cheek gave in under her boot. A tooth went flying. 

A gloved hand tapping on her shoulder caught her attention. She whipped around to glare at the man. "What the fuck do you want, Toby?" she snarled. "Have anything else to fucking say to me?"

The man stared at her. "We-We can't leave tonight," he muttered. "It's too fucking c-cold." He grabbed up some of the softest-looking blankets from the man's bed. With his arms loaded, he went to the living room.

Nyx gave the man's face one more stomp before following her companion.

Toby had thrown a blanket over each of the couches. Nyx ignored him and snatched the blanket and the pillow from the couch closest to her. She marched over to the fireplace and threw her items down. The fire seemed to be dimming down a bit, so Nyx grabbed a few logs from the stack nearby. She fed the fire then turned back to her bedding. She folded the thicker of the blankets in half to use as a pallet. She laid down on it. The pillow was pulled towards her, and she threw the other blanket over her body. There was no need to discard her clothes. If the fire went out in the middle of the night, then at least she would not freeze.

"Night, Toby," she muttered as she turned her back to the man. The heat of fire lolled her to sleep faster than she expected.

She woke up what felt like minutes later. The fire had gone down a bit but was still roaring with strength. She lifted her upper body a bit to glance around. Did her blanket catch on fire? 

No, her blankets were fine. 

Then what the fu -

She glanced over her shoulder.

Toby was lying next to her. He had made a pallet out of his blankets and had fallen asleep with his back beside her. One of his nightly twitches must have woken her. She sighed quietly. Of course she was still pissed off at him for suggesting she deserved to be assaulted because she was not fast enough, but a small part of her was grateful he was beside her. His presence was calming to her. 

She watched as he twitched, and his blanket slid from his broad shoulders. Careful so she didn't wake him, Nyx pulled the blanket back into place. She laid down again, then scooted backwards until her back was pressed against his. Her eyes fluttered closed as their combined heat enveloped them.

A hand shaking her shoulder woke her this time. Weak sunlight filtered in through the sheer curtains, making up for the lack of light coming from the now small fire. She blinked then twisted slightly to look up at Toby.

"We n-need to get go-going, Nyx," he said.

Stifling a groan of protest, Nyx got up. 

"A storm will be move-moving into the area late-later today. It'll hide our tr-tracks." Toby fidgeted with the hatchets at his hips. "I already de-destroyed the evidence." He nodded toward a door beside the one that led to the bedroom. "I bur-burnt the pictures of us," he said. "I l-left the ones of the women he v-violated. The police will th-think he was killed for revenge."

"Were there pictures of everyone?"

Toby cracked his neck before nodding. "E-Even of y-you."

That scared Nyx. Other than the rare mission, Nyx hardly left the manor. This man had to have been a hardcore stalker to get pictures of her.

"The evidence is destroyed and the man is dead," said Nyx quietly. "Mission complete?"

"Yes." 

Something was tossed at her. Nyx caught it. A jacket, thicker than the one she had on. "Thanks," she muttered, tugging it on. 

"Let's go ho-home."


End file.
